Enter the Young Patriots Essay Contest through Dec. 31st

The Young Patriots Essay Contest is designed to challenge high school students to creatively solve problems in the realm of public policy through the art of writing. Controversial topics are assigned each year and only three winners will be chosen. The topic of this year’s essay contest is: “According to the four required readings. What policy changes should the government pursue in order to best foster economic prosperity?”

This year, they’re introducing an interactive reading and education component to ensure you, as students, gain valuable insight on the NCPA’s perspective and message. Please read the four following pieces as you consider the above topic. Your submission will be graded in part according to how carefully and thoughtfully you engage with these four challenging articles. They are:

“Public Choice,” by John C. Goodman

“Classical Liberalism,” by John C. Goodman

“I Pencil,” by Leonard Read

“The Greatest Story Nobody Knows About,” by Steven Landsburg

For more information on this award and other scholarship opportunities, conduct a free scholarship search today!

Zinch’s Weekly Three Sentence Essay Due Today!

What better way is there to kick off spring quarter than an additional $1,000 to put towards your college education? Zinch’s Weekly Essay Contest will help you do just that and all you have to do is write a two to three sentence essay on the following prompt: Art has the ability to delight and inspire. What piece of art has inspired you? Explain your choice.

This SOTW is Accepting Entries Through March 1st

Looking for a scholarship that doesn’t require an essay? Well, look no further than ScholarshipPoints for your chance to win a $10,000 scholarship. ScholarshipPoints is free to join, fun to participate in, and provides you with the opportunity to win thousands of dollars in scholarships every month. Members earn scholarship points for doing what they already do online: shopping, reading blogs, playing games, searching the web, taking surveys and more! The more you do – the more points you earn – the more chances you have at winning a scholarship. They gave away over $145,000 in scholarships in 2013 and are hoping to give away even more in 2014! Join today and you could be their next scholarship winner!

For more information on this scholarship and other scholarship opportunities, conduct a free scholarship search today!

Project Yellow Light/Hunter Garner Scholarship Deadline is March 17th

Project Yellow Light is a scholarship competition designed to bring about change. As an applicant, you have one clear mission: encourage other teens to develop and embrace safe driving habits. Specifically - don't text and drive. The first-place winner will receive a scholarship in the amount of $2,000. The second-place winner will receive $500 and the third-place winner will receive $200. In addition to a scholarship, the winning video will be turned into an Ad Council PSA and will be distributed nationally to 1,600 TV stations.

People wait their entire lives to impact positive change on the world. Through this project, we are offering you that opportunity now. You can play a key role in spreading this important message because you can speak to your peers in a way that adults cannot. The more lives you can impact, the more lives you can save. We want to see your personal expression come through in your video. You can video yourself, a group of people, make a cartoon, do a music video - just keep it to a minute or less and make sure it's in good taste.

If you are interested in learning more about this or other scholarship opportunities, conduct a free scholarship search today!

This SOTW is Accepting Entries Through August 14th

At least 59 percent of young people know that texting and driving is dangerous... but 46 percent still admit to driving while distracted. When you text while driving at 55 mph, your eyes go off the road for the length of an entire football field. Tell your friends about the dangers of texting and driving to enter to win a $10,000 scholarship. After entering, Do Something will send you a free pair of "thumb socks" - a physical reminder to stop texting and driving. No minimum GPA or essays are required to qualify for this award so get started today!

For more information on this scholarship and other scholarship opportunities, conduct a free scholarship search!

College Prowler is Accepting Entries Through September 30th

Winning money for college is great but doing so without having to meet astronomical word counts and double-digit page requirements is even better. Lucky for you, the folks at College Prowler couldn't agree more and have launched the $2,000 No Essay Scholarship.

The scholarship is open to all students and those planning on enrolling within 12 months. The monthly winner will be determined by random drawing and then contacted directly and announced on their Facebook page. One entry per person, but you can come back each month to try again. To apply, please visit College Prowler or complete a free scholarship search to find additional opportunities.

I love having a busy schedule so this year I plan to intern in Milwaukee and hopefully (fingers crossed!) head to New York City in the winter. I've indulged myself a little with my English major – reading and being impacted by what I read has always been one of the best parts of my life – and I am looking forward to a career that not only allows but requires me to do just that.

The opportunity to be a virtual intern with Scholarships.com is one I couldn’t pass up: Not only is this the sort of writing experience necessary for my resume, but it’s a bit out of my comfort zone. I hope to challenge myself to be a resource to you readers and help bring some insight into the ordeals of life as a college student.

I’ll sign off with the most important thing college has helped me realize (so far): Challenge yourself and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you can accomplish. Thanks for reading!

Deadline Quickly Approaching

The Girls Impact the World Film Festival, presented by the Harvard College Social Innovation Collaborative (SIC) and Connecther, is a film festival and scholarship program in which high school and undergraduate college students submit 3-5 minute short films that focus on a variety of global women's issues, including maternal health, microfinance initiatives, child-marriage, sex-trafficking, poverty alleviation, etc.

Winners will receive a monetary prize, film distribution channels via SIC, Connecther and Creative Visions networks, as well as an internship opportunity at Creative Visions in Los Angeles. An official screening and red carpet will take place at the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, MA on February 22. The film festival has marketing partners in college campuses across the nation.

For more information on this scholarship and other scholarship opportunities, conduct a free scholarship search today!Our scholarship search allows you to search more than 2.7 million college scholarships and grants worth more than $1.9 billion!

Newsflash: Christmas is just two days away and if you haven't found the perfect gift for that special college student in your life yet, the pressure is definitely on. And if you're looking to spread some Christmas cheer – yes, even "mature" students love presents! – check out our top picks for gifts they might actually enjoy.

Despite the hefty sticker price associated with all Ivy League institutions, estimated yearly costs are actually quite affordable. In fact, Ivy Leaguers graduate with less debt than their peers who attended less prestigious schools. How? Turns out healthy endowment funds play a huge role in aiding low-income, middle-income and even upper-income students with tuition costs. Score!

According to statistics from U.S. News & World Report, many of the best colleges in the county are relative steals for the lucky few who earn admission. For example, Princeton University students graduate with about $5,096 of debt for all four years – the lowest sum for alumni leaving a national university with debt. Amy Laitinen, a former White House education adviser now at the New America Foundation, said, "Folks look at the sticker price and assume that's what everyone is paying. The truth is that the more elite schools have more resources."

But with acceptance rates hovering at less than 10 percent, gaining access to those Ivy League dollars is fiercely competitive. Do you think it’s fair for students who don’t meet the Ivies’ steep admissions standards to be saddled with crippling debt or should the few that do be rewarded with an affordable, brand name education? Let us know what you think in the comments section.